Civil and Coastal Engineering

Are you fascinated by the designs of large coastal structures such as seawalls and breakwaters and how these withstand attack by the sea? Do you want to help protect our coastal communities from the threat of flooding and sea level rise? Do you want to understand how to plan and construct a port? Our MEng graduates in civil and coastal engineering are trained as civil engineers with specialist knowledge in the realisation of projects that are essential to the functioning of coastal societies.

This accredited MEng provides the further learning component required for Chartered Engineer status. You will be supported and inspired by our enthusiastic academic staff. They will encourage you to enhance your professional experience through attendance at meetings and seminars, and the option of a paid year in industry with a civil engineering employer. You will also be offered a mentor from our network of Plymouth Civil Engineers to help guide you at the start of your professional career.

• Four year integrated masters programme.

• In the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), also known as the Shanghai Ranking we are eighth out of 50, and the highest ranked UK university, for Marine/Ocean Engineering.

• Distinguish yourself professionally with an accredited degree. Our MEng (Hons) is accredited by the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE), The Institute of Highway Engineers, Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation and the Permanent Way Institution on behalf of the Engineering Council, for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng). You'll qualify for membership of the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and Institution of Structural Engineers.

• Get your career off to a flying start by spending an optional work placement year working as a paid student engineer – a great opportunity to further your knowledge and make important industry contacts.

• Study at one of the world’s leading centres for coastal engineering research – you’ll keep pace with the ever-changing discoveries, insights and thinking in the subject.

• Benefit from our £19 million Marine Building, which offers facilities for teaching water and coastal engineering. Our design project module in coastal engineering equips you to specialise in design or flood risk management and port engineering.

• When our new engineering and design facility is launched, students in engineering, science and the arts will have access to a range of specialist equipment and innovative laboratories.

• Draw on our teaching staff of professionally qualified experts with relevant experience from the civil engineering industry, and researchers with national and international reputations. 95% of our students say our staff are good at explaining things [source: Discover Uni].

• Learn a host of design skills from problem solving to sustainable development, as well as acquiring the critical thinking that plays a key role in the work of a civil engineer, including interpreting and analysing data.

• Increase your employability by taking an extra-curricular HSE-recognised diving qualification (subject to availability).

• Develop your professional skills including communication, self-management, team working and leadership, all vital in obtaining graduate employment and a rewarding career.

• Join our extensive network of Chartered Civil Engineers who have graduated from the University of Plymouth and now work at all levels in the industry both nationally and internationally.

In the first year of your civil and coastal engineering course you will study alongside other engineering students to learn about the fundamental principles that underpin technical subjects which are studied throughout the course. You will develop your mathematical skills and study engineering materials, structural mechanics and fluid mechanics. You will learn about generic design and computer-aided design, and work in a team to undertake a real-world design challenge. Laboratory sessions will form an important part of your learning.

The second year introduces core civil engineering disciplines that comprise structural analysis and design, geotechnics and fluid dynamics. These subjects are explored in lectures, through practical activities, and field trips. You will be introduced to the special topic of coastal engineering, and you will develop essential and professional transferable skills and tools for the management of projects. At this point of the course, it is still possible to swap between our ‘civil’ and ‘civil and coastal’ engineering degrees.

By taking the opportunity to spend an optional year in paid employment whilst still a student civil engineer, you will obtain recordable professional experience, build a network of industry contacts and often obtain offers of summer work, sponsorship or employment on graduation. Our placements team will support you in finding a placement, and we have an extensive network of employers across all sectors.

In your third year, you will deepen your understanding of the core technical subjects in civil engineering with a particular focus on designing infrastructure solutions in a coastal context. You will immerse yourself in the execution of your individual project throughout the year. These projects will focus on a research question or a practical issue relevant to your chosen specialism and might involve the use of the COAST laboratory facilities, state of the art modelling software supervised by an academic member of staff.

In this final year of the MEng programme you will build upon and integrate your earlier learning. You will develop advanced understanding of coastal engineering, hydraulics and geotechnics, extend your experience of coastal engineering into the associated field of port and harbour engineering. As a masters student you will sharpen your project management skills. The year finishes with the completion of an integrated design project that demonstrates your design, presentation and group working skills.

The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry.

45% of assessment is by exam, 55% by coursework

For up to date details, please refer to our website or contact the institution directly.

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• Engineering Council
• Structural Engineers, Institution of
• Civil Engineers, Institution of
• The Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation
• Highway Engineers, Institute of (IHE)

To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:

• Course does not award QTS